WEATHER REPORTWeatherheadHigh School

Autumn 2012A high performing academy providing excellence for all

Excellent Results for Year 11 Students!Against National Trends: Students Succeeded in Breaking All Records

A new record of 92% of students achieved 5 or more A*- C grades. In addition, 77% achieved 5 A*- C grades including English and Maths and there were many outstanding

individual achievements. Some top results from our GCSE students.

Sixth Form Success for Weatherhead Students

S tudents, staff, Governors and parents were delighted with the A Level results - the Sixth Form goes from strength to strength with a pass rate of 100% and 83% grades

A*- C. There were many outstanding successes and eight students achieved straight A grades. Over 120 students are about to start their degree courses. Top performers include:

Top Performers

Erin Courtney 11A* 3A

Emily Jones 7A* 7A

Jemma Nicholson 10A* 3A

Sarah Mahon 6A* 7A

Olivia Sebastian 6A* 7A

Rebecca Edwards 4A* 9A

Millie Dawson 2A* 11A 1B

Chloe Sands 2A* 10A 1B

Hannah Perry 4A* 7A 2B

Jasmine Williams 4A* 7A

Gemma Christian 2A* 9A 3B

Kelly-Ann Lomax 1A* 10A 2B

Ellie Stephens 1A* 10A 2B

Christian Watts A* Art, A Photography, A English Language,

A Media Studies

Vanessa Chan A* Mathematics, A Further Maths, A Chemistry

Verity Piercy A* Mathematics, A Chemistry, A Physics

Jennifer Kettell A HSC Single, A ICT, A PE

Lauren McFerran A English Language, A HSC Single, A Sociology

Lana Quilty A* Art, A* Textiles, B English Literature

Rachel Staples A* Mathematics, A Further Mathematics,

B Chemistry

Ella Storey A* History, A English Language,

B English Literature

Kelly Johnson A Business Studies, A Media Studies,

B English Language

Rachel Robinson A Art, A Psychology, B Mathematics

Rebecca Skelly A Psychology, A ICT, B Mathematics

Stacey Lawrence A English Language, A ICT, B Sociology

Celebrating success

Top A Level achievers with Mr Dyment

Headteacher’s Welcome Student Achievements

Key Stage 3 Awards Evening

I n the penultimate week of the Summer term, Weatherhead celebrated the success and achievements of our Key Stage 3 students. Parents, students and staff enjoyed an evening celebrating

students’ academic achievement and endeavour. The audience were treated to performances from the Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Year 7 Dancers as well as a spectacular solo piece by Year 8 student Frances Jory on the Tenor Horn. Our guest speaker, Michelle Dow (Director of Mersey STEM - an organisation which promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in schools) gave a thought-provoking and motivating speech to students, inspiring and encouraging them to take pride in their achievements.

I am delighted to introduce the Autumn edition of the Weather Report. As you will see when reading this edition Weatherhead is a very vibrant school with extremely talented students who have been involved in many different activities and events. We had a memorable celebration of sport in July and our Weatherhead Olympics set the scene for a wonderful summer of sport. We were all enthralled to watch the performance of former student Natasha Jonas in the Women’s Boxing, she is a wonderful ambassador for her sport and won many admirers during the competition. I am delighted to report that once again the examination results of our students both at GCSE and A Level were outstanding, confirming Weatherhead as one of the most successful schools in the North West of England. I am very pleased to welcome our new students and their parents to the school and look forward to our partnership over the next seven years. Starting secondary school is a very exciting time for the youngsters and we have in addition to their lessons a wonderful extra-curricular programme available - there is something for everyone. I would also like to remind parents that I continue to offer an open surgery for any parents who wish to see me on any issues of concern. Dates of these termly surgeries are detailed on the school website.

UKMT Team Maths Challenge 2012

Y ear 8 and 9 students, Ellie Brown, Jacey Hesketh, Jada Jones and Grace Riazi accompanied by Mrs Day represented Weatherhead in the UK Mathematics Trust Team Maths

Challenge at Birkenhead School. The girls endured four rounds of difficult and challenging questions (including a relay where flat sensible shoes were a must) and worked really well as a team. The girls did themselves proud, finishing in a higher place than expected.

Chamber Choir Winat Festival

M iss Hartley’s newly formed Chamber Choir Cantate and the school choir Weatherhead Sings took part in their first music festival on Saturday 28th April at the Kings’ School,

Chester. The Chamber Choir were awarded first place in the smaller ensembles class and were presented with the Delia Fitzsimons Memorial Cup. The Choir impressed judges with a performance of an Adele medley of Rumour Has It/Someone Like You and Take That’s Rule the World with difficult harmonies. The adjudicator praised their performance, noting how well the ensemble worked as a team and had a “tight rhythm and sound”. Weatherhead Sings performed a Bruno Mars and Jackson 5 medley Just the Way You Are/I’ll Be There and Adele Rolling in the Deep against tough competition and were awarded third place, having worked very hard to prepare for the competition. Year 7 student, Kezia O’Brien said, “I thought it went really well, we sounded like one voice and we had a lot of fun!” Year 8 student, Jessica Falls added “I think we started off a bit nervous but as we got into it we got more confident and stronger as a group.” Music Teacher, Miss Hartley said, “I was so proud of how all the students did. Their dedication and hard work paid off and the Chamber Choir pulled out all the stops to take first place.”

Making An Exhibition of Themselves!A rtwork by five of Weatherhead’s A Level Art and Textiles students was displayed at the prestigious National Students’ Art

Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London from 10th to 14th July. The Exhibition is organised by the Royal Society of British Artists and features the best young artists in the country exhibiting alongside work from some of Britain’s finest professional

artists. Mrs Freckleton, Head of Art and Design said, “It is an honour to have work selected for this exhibition as it is a rigorous selection process and the standard is high. This is the highest number of pieces we have had selected and the first time for textiles work.” Congratulations go to the following Textiles and Fine Art students who had their work exhibited, Leah Kent ‘Two for Tea’, Lana Quilty ‘Les Ombres D’Automne’ and Katherine Winter ‘Natural Form’ as well as Louise Coxon ‘Stone’ and Rowan Liversage’s piece, ‘Overgrown’. Jordan McWilliams was also Highly Commended for his architectural designs. The Mall Galleries described the event as “a truly inspirational exhibition celebrating gifted and talented students in Schools, Colleges and Academies.”

Music Success

M r Brown and Miss Hartley were delighted with students’ Music examination successes in July. Year 13 student Jasmine Scarisbrick passed her Grade 8 - the top grade awarded by

Trinity College, London on French Horn and Grace Blundell (Year 10) passed her Grade 5 Theory awarded by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition, Courtney Campbell (Year 10) and Charley McGuiness (Year 8) passed their Grade 3 Voice examination awarded by the London College of Music.

Attendance Winners

A t the end of the school year, students from Years 7 to 11 with 100% attendance were entered into a raffle

with the opportunity to win a Kindle Touch. 90 students were awarded a certificate of attendance and chocolates before being entered into the raffle. One lucky student from each year group became the proud owner of a Kindle Touch .… and the winners were …. Year 7 - Kezia O’Brien, Year 8 - Niamh Doherty, Year 9 - Beth Raynor, Year 10 - Caroline Duncan and Year 11 - Emma Climo. 100% attendance is a fantastic achievement and the girls should feel very proud!

VIP guest Michelle Dow with Head Girl, Deputy Head Girl & prize winnersChamber Choir at Kings School Choir Festival

Jazz Band performance at Awards Evening

UKMT winners

Mr Dyment

Work Related Learning Day Careers Fair

Student Achievements Higher Education & Careers Programme

Careers Advice & Guidance

A t Weatherhead, we aim to offer support for students to help them understand the range of opportunities available to them once they leave school. Time is dedicated to this

in PSHCE lessons and during assemblies as well as visits to universities, events and careers fairs arranged throughout the year. Year 11 students have an interview to help them to plan, prepare and make choices for their future. To help students and parents in this process, a series of useful websites are listed on the school website including ‘Mersey Interactive’ and ‘U-explore’. To find out more and for guidance on how to access the websites, please visit www.weatherhead.wirral.sch.uk select the School Community, Careers Information and Download Help Sheet Here.

Work RelatedLearning Day

S ome students may not choose to go to University straight after A levels and are interested to learn more about the career opportunities available

to them after school. To help our students to learn more, a ‘Work Related Learning’ day was organised in July comprising a series of workshops, mock interviews and a Careers Fair. Over fifty external providers worked with our students to provide a high quality experience. Workshops included ‘how to set up your own business’, ‘what to do in a gap year’, ‘how to choose a degree course’, ‘apprenticeships’, ‘CV writing’, ‘interview techniques’, ‘how to apply to Oxbridge’ and ‘careers in Science and Engineering’. Local employers, University Careers Officers, STEM Ambassadors, University undergraduates and ex-students ran workshops and conducted mock interviews. The mock interviews were a great success with students performing well under pressure and were given invaluable feedback to help them to practise for University and job interviews. Twenty five companies including Bristol Myers Squibb, Liverpool Galleries and Museums, Balfour Beatty and Jaguar Landrover attended a mini Careers Fair in the afternoon. Students in Years 9, 10 and 12 were invited to visit the Fair to find out more about careers, apprenticeships, University courses and training.

IRIS Winners Visit to Camelot

N early eighty girls from Years 7 through to 10 who had been awarded the most IRIS points and had achieved above target in attendance were treated to

a day out at Camelot Theme Park. The girls had a fabulous day enjoying some rare July sunshine! Being allowed freedom to explore the Park in groups, the girls spent the day watching a spectacular jousting tournament, having their faces painted and watching King Arthur’s Birds of Prey. Those more daring chose to be subjected to extreme G force and speeds in excess of 40 miles an hour on Knightmare, experienced stomach churning on the Excalibur rollercoaster, rode the Galleon Ship and got soaked on the Log Flume and Pendragon’s Plunge!

Riding on theCREST of the Wave

O ver the course of the last year, twenty girls completed the Bronze CREST Award, a well-regarded, high-quality and tangible

recognition of success in STEM (the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The Award involves students completing ten hours of project work and demands that students practise existing scientific and technological skills, experience and develop new ones as well as follow a scientific process, demonstrate independent learning, carry out important research, demonstrate creativity and apply their work to a ‘real world’ context. STEM Club is run by the Science department and continues to grow in numbers - watch this space for an exciting new STEM Club and Award to be launched this term.

Poetry Success!T he 2012 Poet Laureate Competition, run by the English

department and organised by Mr Vincent, was once again a huge success with a record number of entries.

Students wrote about the London 2012 Olympics and why sport and teamwork were important to them. The winners each received a laminated copy of their poem and a £10 book token. The winning poems by Amy McKiernan (Year 7), Charlotte Biggar (Year 8) and Amber Miles (Year 9) can be viewed on the school website via the VLE icon, LRC and are displayed along the English corridor. A big thank you to everyone who participated, the standard of writing was extremely high.

Budding Scientists

Poet Laureate winners

Year 9 IRIS winners

Higher Education & Careers ProgrammeHigher Education & Careers Programme

University of Liverpool Scholar’s Scheme A group of Year 12 students signed up for the

University of Liverpool’s Scholar’s Scheme, working closely with Lecturers to help them

prepare for the process of applying for and going to University next year. Lecturers met with the students and mentored them throughout the year whilst they completed a written project. Rebecca Byrne, Poppy Herbert and Paige Kingsbury all passed with flying colours resulting in the University of Liverpool and other redbrick universities offering them conditional places. Sophie Moran took part in a five day residential at the University of Liverpool over the Summer holidays, attending workshops and lectures whilst staying in Halls of Residence. Successful completion of the course will result in the University offering her a conditional place on a course next year.

Nuffield BursariesR ebecca Byrne, Katie Currie, Alice Lucking, Zoe Stewart and Alex Whale took part in the Nuffield Bursaries Scheme in the

Summer holidays hoping to secure a bursary for University in 2014. Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries offer up to 1,000 bursaries a year for students to work alongside professional Scientists, Technologists, Engineers and Mathematicians.

Study Project

S ixth Form students took part in a study project run by C-Tech Innovation, a leading internationally focused innovation management and technology development company based at Capenhurst. The students attended a series

of workshops run by Pen Peace from C-Tech and worked on design ideas to re-design the household kettle to be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable product. The students gained a great deal from the experience and were encouraged to use their Science knowledge and apply it to design and innovation problems.

National Pathology Week

A group of students who are interested in pursuing a career in the NHS visited Alder Hey Hospital as part of National Pathology Week. The group enjoyed a tour of the hospital

and spoke to members of the Pathology department about their careers and found out more about the role of Pathology in a hospital.

Year 12 Work ExperienceR achel Chong, Sarah Howard, Helen Mahoney,

Natasha Wagstaff and Ben West all Year 12 Business Studies students enjoyed two days of

work experience at local companies and businesses during the Summer term. The students were able to learn more about the working environment to help them to bring their Business Studies lessons to life. They will be able to draw on their real life experiences when completing their coursework by giving examples of the theory they have learnt and how it is used in business situations.

Year 12 Work Related Learning and Higher Education Events

A fter completing their AS examinations in June, Year 12 students participated in a range of activities in and out of school to help them make decisions about their future.

Many students attended the North West UCAS Fair at the University of Liverpool - a national event attended by UK universities providing workshops, talks and information about courses. Students found the day beneficial and were able to get a good understanding of the range of courses available, the grades required to secure places and were able to talk to Lecturers and Admissions Tutors about the admissions process, course content and to students about their experiences.

Intromed

T hree of our Year 12 students, Rebecca Byrne, Alice Lucking and Alex Whale who are all hoping to apply for Medicine and Dentistry courses at University attended a

five day Intromed course at Wirral University Teaching Hospitals in the Summer term. The students were given the opportunity to tour the hospitals, talk with doctors and undergraduates, shadow doctors, attend clinics and visit patients. This was a great experience for the girls and has made them even more determined to successfully gain a place at University to study the course of their choice.

The scheme (believed to be the only one of its kind in England) is run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to support teenagers in their decision to become a doctor. In total, 80 teenagers from schools across Wirral attended the latest course. Introduced in 1997 by Consultant Radiologist, Dr Joyce Magennis, Intromed has supported more than 1,200 students - many of whom have gone on to become qualified doctors.Sophie Moran

C-Tech workshops

Students who took part in the Nuffield Bursaries Scheme

Health and Social Care Careers FairT he Health and Social Care (HSC) Department held a Careers Conference for Year 12 students as they prepared to go into

Year 13 to aid them in completing their UCAS forms. The girls were asked to research HSC careers in groups and to present their profiles to the class. Each group made hand outs, produced a PowerPoint as well as a display. Zara French, Sam Roberts

and Chloe Warren researched the role of a Paramedic and produced a great display.

Year 10 Work ExperienceY ear 10 students enjoyed a week of work experience

at the beginning of July gaining essential skills in communication, working in a team as well as

taking responsibility for their own work and actions in a real working environment. The girls travelled throughout the North West as well as into North Wales, working in a range of sectors including Law, Retail, NHS Hospitality and Catering, Administration and Education. Students exhibited commendable behaviour during the week and should feel proud of their achievements, behaviour and overall approach to work. Employers were very impressed with the girls, commenting “a credit to the school” and “never had a Year 10 work experience student so willing”. A number of students gained a Saturday job from their work experience whilst others enrolled in voluntary work. We are always grateful to staff, parents and local companies for helping to make Year 10 Work Experience such a worthwhile experience for our girls and a great success.

‘Summer Liverpool’

D uring work experience week, ten girls from Year 10 attended ‘Summer Liverpool’ held by the University of Liverpool. Ninety one students from fourteen schools across

Merseyside attended the residential which was aimed at raising awareness and aspirations in relation to Higher Education. Students spent three days attending workshops and taking part in activities delivered by Lecturers across thirteen subjects. Students lived away from home in Halls of Residence and spent their time experiencing University life and the challenges that comes with it. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are now looking forward to going to University in the future.Bristol Myers

Squibb

A group of Year 11 students enjoyed a day at Bristol-Myers Squibb Global

Biopharmaceutical Company which discovers, develops and delivers innovative medicines to help treat patients with serious diseases. The girls learnt more about the variety of career paths available in the Pharmaceutical industry and took part in practical Science activities throughout the day.

Comenius Assistant

W e are delighted to welcome Magda Salamon to school this term. Magda joins us as an assistant as part of the Comenius programme with the British Council and will be

working with students and staff to develop a greater awareness and celebration of the range of European cultures and traditions that we can learn from. Magda, who is Polish, will be working with students in a range of lessons from PSCHE to Humanities. There may also be opportunities for students to learn more about the language and culture in extra-curricular activities.

Higher Education & Careers ProgrammeHigher Education & Careers Programme

Edge Hill Visit

A group of students enjoyed a visit to Edge Hill University in June, taking part in a variety of workshops learning more about how to apply to

University and how to write a personal statement. Students particularly enjoyed a tour of the University as they were able to compare a Campus University to a City University, like Liverpool. The highlight for many students was talking to students about University life and their courses.

Oxbridge LinksW e were delighted to

host an Oxbridge event for teachers in

the Summer term. Teachers from schools in the local area attended the event, run by Admissions Tutors from Oxford and Cambridge University to help teachers to support students in the application process. The event was a great success and we are looking forward to hosting similar events in the future.

Cambridge University

Weatherhead students get a taste of University life

HSC Careers Event

Projects & EventsProjects & Events

Skills for L.I.F.E

D uring the Easter Holidays, seven of our girls took part in the L.I.F.E Programme with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. The programme provides activities during the school

holidays and discourages anti-social behaviour. The following girls completed the four day course, Megan Doran, Rosie Hughes and Abigail Owens from Year 8, Samantha Edwards, Charlianne Williams and Lauren Swift from Year 9 and Year 10 student Chantelle Owens.

The girls participated in various activities including practical Fire Fighting skills - using fire extinguishers, fire hoses, foam, search and rescue equipment as well as First Aid awareness, teambuilding and climbing up Moel Famau in North Wales. The girls received certificates for completing the course and Chantelle Owens was named ‘Best Student’. Suzy Tosi, Youth Engagement Officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, praised the girls for their enthusiasm, spirit and willingness to help each other. The girls were a credit to themselves and to the School.

Tall Ships

T he Tall Ships Programme run by Wirral Safer Schools Partnership and Tall Ship Adventures invited two of our Year 9 students, Rebekah

Williams and Molly Evanson to join the Cardiff to Liverpool leg. After a five hour coach trip to Cardiff, the girls were taken on board the Stavros S Niarchos, given a quick tour around the ship and shown to their rooms. Over the course of seven days, the girls learnt how to tie knots, steer the ship (which consisted of shouting back and forth to the Captain), set the sails (and climb up the sails). Each of the different jobs necessitated the girls working together as a team, ensuring that the ship was on course, kept clean and the sixty eight crew members fed and watered! The ship made a short stop in Douglas, the Isle of Man and the girls were allowed to go shopping and eat out. Most of the group were seasick (apart from two) and most agreed that once the sickness went it was a brilliant experience. During the week, the ship sailed twenty three miles in just over nine hours and motored 364 miles in just over eighty one hours. Whilst on the ship, the crew rescued an abandoned boat in the Irish Sea and were part of the Giants Parade in Liverpool. The ship reached Liverpool on Sunday 22nd April and the girls finally got back ashore on Monday 23rd April having shared a once in a lifetime experience.

Jubilee Celebrations

W eatherhead joined the nation in celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a red, white and blue themed non-uniform day. As well as a Jubilee quiz in form time, the school canteen was covered in bunting

and transformed into a Jubilee street party with a specially themed menu of fish and chips, sausage rolls, jelly and ice cream. Money raised from the non-uniform day was donated to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Trust Fund. Learning Mentors showed their patriotric side and got into the Jubilee spirit by designing and modelling their own hats!

Scientists in Sport

F ifteen Science students were invited to attend a ‘Scientist in Sports’ event at Liverpool John Moores University as a reward for completing the ‘Bronze CREST Award’ in STEM

Club last term. Activities included testing urine samples for illegal drugs, learning about the limits to human performance they even had a chance to meet an Olympic athlete. Many of the girls learnt more about STEM careers and hopefully they will pursue these interests in the future.

Media and Film Studies Celebration Evening

T he Media Department hosted an

exhibition of student’s work at the beginning of July inviting students, parents and staff to view the superb production work which students completed this year in Years 8, 10, 12 and 13 including film posters, A level films, online blogs and animation. The exhibition was combined with a Higher Education and Careers Fair with representatives from Chester University, Liverpool Hope University, Edge Hill University, the SAE Institute, the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT), the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), John Moores University and the University of Staffordshire. Students were able to talk to the Universities about courses available, how to apply and discuss future career prospects. The evening was a fantastic opportunity for our students to get information which will help them to make decisions about their futures and for parents to see the wonderful work produced.

The Big Bang!

T wenty of our Year 10 Scientists were taken to ‘the Big Bang Fair’ at St. George’s Hall in Liverpool and spent the day talking part

in hands-on Science activities. They learnt about bacteria, made ‘human’ origami and attended a lecture about ‘Superhero Scientists’. There was also a STEM careers fair in the afternoon. Many of the group are interested in STEM careers and found the day really interesting and fun.

Baroness NewloveVisits School W eatherhead played host to a member of

the House of Lords on Friday 15th June to encourage students to engage more with the

political and parliamentary process. Baroness Newlove met with Year 12 students for an hour to talk about the work and role of the House of Lords, followed by a question and answer session on various aspects of the parliamentary process and life at Westminster. Mrs Bainbridge, Assistant Headteacher, commented, “this was a fantastic opportunity for our students to interact with someone who knows the parliamentary system inside out, as it can sometimes seem far removed from their daily lives.” The visit was arranged through the Lord Speaker’s Peers in Schools Programme, which has been running across the UK since 2007 and has so far involved around 50,000 young people. This continuing outreach programme sends members of the House of Lords into schools and colleges across the country to give talks in support of the citizenship curriculum.

As part of the Speakers in Schools initiative, we are delighted to be welcoming John Makinson to school this month. Mr Makinson is the Chairman and CEO of The Penguin Group.

Students learn LIFE skills

Weatherhead firefighters

Jubilee Hats

Students at the The Big Bang Fair

Baroness Newlove with Mr Dyment

Year 10 CD cover design

Year 12 magazine cover

Somerville Film Project

M edia Demonstrator, Miss McKeane spent the Summer term working with a group of enthusiastic Year 5 pupils at Somerville Primary School to create a short animation

based around living space. The pupils went on to form a film club and created an Olympic themed animation based around Olympic events using Lego, Play Mobil and Sylvanian Families characters. Both films were premiered to pupils at Somerville before the summer holidays and will be entered into next year’s Wirral Schools’ Film Festival.

LIPAT alented Music, Dance and

Drama students from Years 9, 10 and 12 took

part in a six week course delivered by the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in Liverpool. The first session took place at LIPA where students had the opportunity to take part in a workshop followed by a tour of their world class facilities. The workshops aimed to develop musicians’ song writing skills and learn about ‘bandship’, whilst dancers studied a variety of dance styles and choreographed their own performances and budding actresses studied characterisation and improvisation. The course culminated in a showcase performance to a packed audience in May in the theatre to over two hundred family and friends with students showcasing all that they had learnt which was extremely well received. Weatherhead is now a partner school with LIPA and can offer enthusiastic, talented students the opportunity to get involved with LIPA activities. This link should be beneficial to students if they intend to apply for a Performing Arts course at LIPA

Arts Leaders Visit Egremont Primary School

A dozen Sixth Form students visited Egremont Primary School in the Spring term in their role as Arts Leaders as part of the Sixth Form Enrichment programme. Students

ran a series of workshops in Drama, Music and Craft teaching the pupils drama techniques, songs and engaging them in games. Chelsea Dawson and Lisa Williams planned an afternoon of craft, where pupils created individual muslin patchwork squares using their favourite person or character as inspiration which included Sponge Bob Square Pants, their teacher, the Queen, family and friends. Later in the term, once they had created a full patchwork art piece, Chelsea and Lisa returned to Egremont and presented the school with the completed banner.

Summer Sizzler T his year’s community showcase event ‘The

Summer Sizzler’ was a sell-out! Almost 400 students worked for 6 - 8 weeks with

practitioners from Wirral Youth Theatre and MultiVox.

Inspired by the Olympic motto Faster, Higher, Stronger Weatherhead students together with students from Mosslands, Foxfield and many primary schools including St. George’s, Mount, Somerville, Egremont, Liscard and St. Alban’s took part in two nights of song and dance performing to family and friends. The programme included an amazing gymnastic display by the Weatherhead Gymnasts, dances to Chariots of Fire and Daft Punk, as well as performances of the Rocky theme tune and We Are the Champions.

World Arts Day

T he whole of Year 7 and 8 (almost 500 students) took part in One-to-One and World Arts Day in the second to last week of the Summer term. Year 7 spent the morning

developing their ‘Study Skills’ with their tutors and later in the day participated in exciting sessions in craft, jewellery making, self-defence, circus skills, Zumba, drama and dance. Year 8 spent the morning in their form groups taking part in three activities and the afternoon taking part in the Big Art. In groups of five, the girls took part in an Olympic themed quiz and had the chance to decorate a flag using collage techniques with crepe, paper, tissue paper and lolly sticks. Each student also had a One-to-One appointment with their form tutor to discuss their progress, targets and how their year had gone.

Transition ‘Stepping Up’ Summer School

A s part of a new Government initiative we were delighted to run a Summer School in August for thirty of our new Year 7 students. Over the course of five days, the

girls received One-to-One tuition with Weatherhead teachers in English and Maths,

enjoyed Drama themed Olympics, games and activities, took part in orienteering, created textile puppets and produced crazy character art. On the penultimate day, the group visited the University of Chester where they took part in Roodee the Roman’s Campus Challenge and took part in Slavery Day activities at the World Museum, Liverpool. The week allowed the girls to get to know each other better and to familiarise themselves with the school as well as learn to work in teams, build confidence and encourage friendships. Parents were invited into school for an Awards Ceremony on the Friday afternoon to celebrate the girls’ achievements.

Media ArtsMedia Arts

Summer Schoolers

Summer School

sock puppets

World Arts Day workshop

Bag decorating on World Arts Day

The Big Art

Inclusion Dance Company at the Summer Sizzler

Weatherhead choir at the Summer Sizzler

Arts Leader Chelsea Dawson with Egremont artwork

Somerville Primary filming project

LIPA project dancers

Get Set Go - Olympic Celebrations!

S pirits were high on the morning of Tuesday 19th June as over 1,000 students prepared to take part in Weatherhead’s Olympic celebrations. Weeks of preparation by the PE

Department as well as input from many other departments made this whole school event a huge success. The Design Technology Department took time to create an impressive Olympic winner’s podium whilst Sixth Formers successfully ran a tuck shop - the ice pops went down especially well in the warm weather! The event was supported for the first time by the school radio station, Ice Radio, with live presenting, music, requests, shout outs and messages which all added to the atmosphere.

Students, dressed in the colours of the country they were representing, lined up behind their country’s flag in preparation for the Opening Ceremony. Abigail Blacklock in Year 10, carried an Olympic torch which her sister, Rebecca Blacklock, carried on the Wirral leg of its journey and led the parade of countries onto the Astro-turf. Each country was accompanied by their National Anthem, excellently performed by the Brass Ensemble, Jazz Band, Year 10 Band and Samba Band accompanied by Mr Brown on the trombone with Mrs Henderson and Miss Hartley on vocals. Musicians had worked particularly hard to learn anthems from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain and the USA.

7M performed the Olympic ‘Big Dance’ followed by the Gymnastics Squad who wowed us all with a technically difficult and beautiful performance during the Opening Ceremony before the Games began. Students took part in Football, Rounders, Netball, Rowing and Athletics over two days of competition, earning points for their country and winning medals. There were some outstanding performances cheered on by classmates, teachers, parents and special guests. After two days of intense competition, covered by our budding journalists, France were declared the overall winners, with USA and Great Britain finishing in second and third respectively.

Olympic CelebrationsOlympic Celebrations

Olympic Hopeful . . . W eatherhead staff and students proudly supported former

Weatherhead student, boxer Natasha Jonas, who competed in the London 2012 Olympics in the Women’s

Light Weight 60kgs Boxing. London 2012 was the first time Women’s Boxing has been included as an Olympic discipline. Earlier this year, Natasha took time out from her job as a Youth Worker in Liverpool and strict training programme to meet most of the school in a series of assemblies, inspiring the students with her stories about her pathway to success. She also made time to put the students through their paces with a series of tailored circuit sessions. Natasha is already four times Amateur Boxing Association of England Champion, 2009 EU Gold medallist, GB Champion of 2010 and more recently in May 2012 won a Bronze Medal at the World Championships, which secured her place in the Olympic GB team and was featured on the cover of the Times Style magazine on 17th June and Channel 4’s documentary Knockout Scousers the month before the Games began.

Natasha’s progress during the Games was watched by millions throughout the country and the World - in the Wirral and Liverpool, her performances were watched with a special pride. Her success and the way she conducted herself set an example to all young athletes - Natasha eventually went out of the competition in the quarter finals narrowly missing out on a medal.

Radio City96.7 Interview

A group of PE students from Years 9 - 12 were interviewed by Radio City nine days before the start of the Olympics about the assemblies and

training sessions they had with Natasha. The group talked about what inspired them, who they were looking forward to seeing compete at the Games (including Natasha, North West gymnast Beth Tweddle, diver Tom Daly and gymnast Lewis Smith). Several students talked about how lucky and excited they were to win tickets via school to a Women’s Football match at Old Trafford. At the end of the interview, students recorded several good luck messages to Natasha!

‘All In It Together’

S taff from the PE Department escorted a group of students to Birkenhead Park on 1st June to compete in an afternoon of Olympic events alongside 1,000 Wirral school students, prior to the torch relay. Janie Allen, Abbie and Chloe Buckenham, Shannon Gower, Rachel Jones, Georgia Murphy, Rebekah Williams and Amy Wyatt competed in the Olympic Celebration Football Tournament.

The girls played incredibly well against Bebington High, Ridgeway, Wallasey and Woodchurch to secure third place.

Many staff and students joined 25,000 locals in Birkenhead Park later that evening to cheer on Olympic Gold Medallist and Cyclist Chris Boardman, MBE and Spice Girl Melanie C who carried the Olympic torch through the Park.

Bolt Out of the Blue!

E x-Weatherhead student Rebecca Blacklock’s grandmother took up

the Radio Times’ challenge to knit Usain Bolt! Rebecca, who was also an Olympic torchbearer and currently studying at Birmingham University, was lucky enough to present Usain Bolt with the doll whilst he was completing his pre-Olympic training at the University of Birmingham in July.

OlympicCelebration Tournament

A t the end of June, Weatherhead joined thousands of students from Wirral schools to participate in an Olympic celebration tournament at the Oval Sports Centre in

Bebington. Weatherhead’s football team made up of students in Years 8, 9 and Year 10 (Molly Brislen, Shannon Gower, Rebecca Martin, Izzy Mawdsley, Ashleigh McDaid, Rebekah Williams) played against Bebington High, Hilbre, Ridgeway and Wirral Grammar who they lost 2-0 to in the semi-final. Year 12 PE students, Charlotte Abraham, Marley Forster, Chloe Hughes, Ashley Stones and Olivia Stowell-Smith assisted with Leadership throughout the day and our Gymnastic Squad made up of Lauren Buchanan-Lloyd, Alex Collins, Melissa Edwards, Lauren Gallagher, Kirby Holsgrove, Aimee Jackson, Amy Jones, Jessica Jones, Faye Kendrick, Hannah Thurlow and Chloe Warren performed their fantastic Olympic themed routine for the Opening Ceremony choreographed by Miss Chard.

Maths Olympic Activities

T he Maths Department got involved in the build up to London 2012 using Olympic and Paralympic themed activities in lessons including quizzes, relay activities and a

Murder Mystery Workshop. The girls enjoyed taking part in various tasks, commenting, “we had lots of fun and a laugh,” “everybody was involved,” “it made us think” and “it was fun but challenging.”

PSHCE Olympic Activities

S tudents across Key Stages 3 and 4 completed an ‘Inspire-Aspire’ poster in their PSHCE lessons using the Olympic and Paralympic values,

identifying things they were good at, things that they could be better at and how they could improve. The next task was to select an Olympian (past, present or future), explain why they found them inspiring and identify which of their values they admired. They also researched inspirational sporting quotes, evaluated what they had learnt during the process of designing a poster and had a peer assessment of their work. Students were awarded a certificate on completion of their poster.

Olympic Torch BearersW eatherhead were delighted to have two ex-

students chosen as Olympic torch bearers, Rebecca Blacklock and Hannah Cassidy. Hannah,

who starred in a Coca Cola advert for the Games with band the Wanted, was selected for setting up the charity Team George and raising over £30,000 for her nephew, George, who has a very rare condition and is fed through his heart. Hannah brought her torch into school for the second day of our Olympic celebrations and kindly allowed staff and students to hold the torch and have their photograph taken with it - a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Olympic CelebrationsOlympic Celebrations

Maths Olympic activities

Olympic torch bearer Hannah Cassidy

Rebecca Blacklock with Usain Bolt

Students are interviewed for Radio City

Cover girl Natasha Jonas

Boxing Champ Natasha visits Weatherhead

Weatherhead on TourWeatherhead Goes Global

The Battlefields of Ypres and the Somme

T he History Department took a group of Year 9 girls on a three day residential to the Battlefields of the First World War in the first week of July. After a very early start

on the Thursday morning, the group crossed the Channel from Folkestone to Calais via the Eurotunnel and after a short drive arrived in the beautiful town of Ypres. The day continued with a visit to the interactive ‘In Flanders Fields’ Museum followed by dinner at a charming local restaurant. Every evening, there is a ceremony of remembrance at the Menin Gate in Ypres which provided an opportunity for two of our students to lay a poppy wreath on behalf of the School. The second day was jam-packed, starting with a guided tour of the Battlefields and cemeteries of Ypres Salient before heading to Sanctuary Wood for the authentic muddy trench experience. After lunch, the group enjoyed the Musee Somme 1916 which is based in an underground tunnel system. The final morning consisted of a rather sombre tour of the cemeteries, memorials and battlefield sites of the Somme with an expert local guide. The journey back to the UK on Saturday gave everyone time to reflect on an amazing experience for both staff and students. The girls felt that the trip really brought home to them the sacrifices made in the Great War and the importance of never forgetting the millions who lost their lives.

Barcelona

L ate in the Spring term, Miss Stewart and Miss Robinson took a group of Sixth Form Art and Textiles students to Barcelona. Students and staff had a great trip with highlights including

an open top bus tour taking in the amazing sights and sounds of the city, a traditional tapas meal, a trip to the stunning Park Guell and the famous Sagrada Familia. The girls were truly inspired by the work of Gaudi and upon their return, used ideas from the trip to inform their exam pieces, achieving some excellent results.

Martin Mere

A s part of their Ecology portfolio, Year 13 Applied Science students visited Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire. The students met one of the Centre’s Rangers who gave

them a guided tour of the wetlands; they saw many species of birds and learnt about the management strategies that the Trust employs to encourage increased numbers of migratory birds. After collecting and interpreting data, the students were able to evaluate the success of the management strategies carried out by the WWT. Students were interested to learn that the species of bird whose numbers have seen a dramatic increase is the Whooper Swan due to the careful management of the lakes and daily dietary supplements provided.

London Calling!

F or the fourth year running, a group of thirty Year 12 English and Media students enjoyed a

whirlwind two-day trip to London. Students enjoyed a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, a stroll along the South Bank, a picnic lunch in Hyde Park, a flight on the London Eye with fantastic views of the City, a shopping spree in Harrods, a river cruise down the Thames with an excellent view of Tower Bridge (complete with decorative Olympic rings), front row seats at the West End phenomenon Wicked and a tour of BBC Centre. Students also enjoyed an afternoon of free time which they spent shopping on Oxford Street, visiting Madame Tussaud’s and Buckingham Palace.

Music for Youth National Festival

O n Friday 6th July, Year 8 student, Frances Jory travelled to Birmingham with the Wirral Schools’ Brass Band (WSBB,) to play in the Music for Youth National

Festival, after going through from the Regional Heat. The Festival ran from 2nd - 7th July and featured young musicians from around the UK playing at various concert venues in Birmingham City Centre. WSBB played at Birmingham Town Hall, on the stage once occupied by Edward Elgar! Their piece of music, Newstead, was especially commissioned by the Parents Association of WSBB and is now used as a test piece for Brass Band competitions. The music, written by the late Goff Richards, features three movements, Fanfare to the Docks, Caldy Hills to the Priory and Shipbuilding on the Mersey. The students had a memorable day, making music in an outstanding venue.

PGL

D uring the penultimate week of the Summer term, twenty two students embarked on a 24 hour journey to the South of France accompanied by

Miss Byrne and Miss Sullivan. The first part of the week saw the group tackle the 30 kilometre descent of the Ardeche River by canoe which they completed successfully despite a number of capsizes in the rapids! After three days, they made their way further down the coast to Club Mimosa on the Mediterranean. Soon after their arrival, the girls took part in the Beach Olympics which involved a variety of silly races including walking like elephants, getting dizzy

and finding a lottery ticket! The girls had an early start the next morning, straight down to Black Sand beach try their hand at snorkelling, spotting schools of fish and searching for octopus. After grabbing a bite to eat, everyone headed down to the beach for kayaking and catamaran sailing, before heading back to get ready for the disco. Other activities that the girls tried their luck with included Pico sailing, windsurfing, raft building, banana boating, Feva sailing and a spot of sunbathing before arriving back in rainy England after a 26 hour journey. The girls had had a fantastic time and enjoyed a trip to remember.

Chilling on the South Bank

Olympic rings at Tower Bridge

Scientists visit Martin Mere Trip

Art & Textiles students in BarcelonaYear 9 at the Somme Memorial

Canoeing down the Ardeche

Furry friend

Department NewsWeatherhead on Tour

Year 9 CherishDARA Workshop

A group of Year 10 students were selected to participate in the ‘Cherished’ workshop which took place over one day at the end of May. The workshop was led by two youth

workers from DARA (Drugs, Alcohol and Relationships Advice). We also use DARA’s work in lessons as part of the PSHCE programme in Years 7 to 11. The day consisted of personal development and life skills activities, designed to foster confidence building skills, teach coping strategies and practice problem solving as well as raising aspirations. Each student built up a self-reflection scrapbook which they got to take away to complete further work in it as and when they wished.

Fashion Show

T he Art department took a group of Year 10 Textiles students to the Liverpool World Museum to help and inspire them with their project on ‘Cultures’. After

exploring several floors and viewing hundreds of exhibits the girls watched Liverpool Community College perform their Graduate Fashion Show in St. George’s Hall. Students were impressed by both the amazing venue and the high quality designs on show.

Private Art Viewing A S and A2 level students showcased their talents

in the annual Art exhibition in the school foyer in July. Family, friends, Governors and staff were

invited to view the results of a very successful year in the Art Department. The work remained on show for several weeks so that visitors to the Summer Sizzler, Key Stage 3 Awards Evening and New Intake Day could also view the work.

Year 8 Great Expectations

A group of year 8 students completed a two day workshop with the Brook Education Team during June. The workshop looked at behaviour, attitudes and keeping safe and raising

students’ aspirations for the future.

Road Safety

A group of Year 12 students worked with the Wirral Road Safety Team in July, viewing and giving honest feedback on a new resource to be used in schools across Wirral from

September 2012.

ArtPSHCEZoo Life E arly in the Spring term, Year 12 braved the cold and

rainy weather to visit Chester Zoo as part of their Applied Science coursework. The purpose of the trip

was to gain an understanding of the Science that takes place at the Zoo and to gain an insight into other important aspects of the business. Students were able to chat to members of staff and recognise the many essential tasks they carry out on a daily basis. They were able to see the importance of Science in the running of the Zoo and to appreciate the need for highly qualified Scientists in many of the jobs including Endocrinology Technician, Herpetologist, Vetinarary Nurse, Conservation Officer, Safari Ranger, Nutritionist and many more. Students attended a talk led by, Alison, a Safari Ranger at the Zoo who revealed the varied roles and aims of the Zoo, this consisted of much more than providing recreational fun for the many visitors. The group also gained knowledge of how a business controls hazards through the use of risk assessment, manages energy usage and uses ICT in data management. The day was a great success and the students were able to collect vital information for their coursework. They have since used this excellent research and their experience at the Zoo to secure some outstanding coursework grades.

Year 7 Conway Trip

I n the last week of term, 191 students took part in the annual Year 7 trip to the Conway Centre in Lanfairpwll, Anglesey, accompanied by their Form Tutors and other Weatherhead staff.

The mixed weather dampened bodies but not spirits and the girls had the most fantastic time! They all chose an outdoor activity to take part in and this year, Abseiling was the most popular activity - one which took bravery, perseverance and team work. The low ropes course plus zip wire came a close second - students also took part in open canoeing, kayaking, raft building, high ropes, bush craft and sailing. All of the students took part in outdoor problem solving activities, which really put their team work and leadership skills to the test. They also developed their Drama skills in an energetic Physical Theatre session and their creative sides were encouraged in a calming and imaginative Art session. The students will receive their Batik work in September to keep as a memento of their trip. Evening activities included the very popular, and this year very muddy, Nightline, another test of communication skills and team work, plus a disco, which had all of the students up and dancing for hours, thanks to Justin Beiber! The Conway Centre staff could not praise the students enough for their positive attitudes and good behaviour, they were a credit to the school. One student was so excited by the Raft Building Race she said, “It’s like being in a movie”, a good summary for the whole visit!

Jeff ’s Motivation Workshop

A group of Year 8 students took part in a motivation workshop with Jeff Moran who taught the girls about perseverance and different ways around a situation. Jeff

presented the ‘TEAR’ technique - the idea that a thought leads to an emotion or feeling, causes actions which brings responsibilities. Girls worked on how they can change from a fixed mind set to a growth mind set and found the workshop informative and useful. Chelsea Taaffe commented, “I’ve learnt how to stay on task, because later on in life I’m going to need these skills and I’ve learnt that everything’s easier when you have a technique and we all worked out our own techniques which will help us. I hope Jeff can come back to Weatherhead and teach us again”.

Year 7 in ConwayYear 7 in Conway

Year 7 in Conway

Trampolining

F ollowing the Trampolining Squad’s success earlier in the year in the Zonal Heats, the Squad secured their place in the finals of the National Schools’ Trampoline Championships

2012 at the City Academy in Bristol. The Championships is an annual competition run by the British Schools Gymnastic Association (B.S.G.A). Our Under 19 Elite squad comprising Lauren Buchannan-Lloyd, Melissa Edwards, Jessica Jones and Hannah Thurlow who not only represented Weatherhead in the Finals but also represented the North of England, Scotland and Ireland. The girls performed fantastically on the day and produced their usual high standard with some incredible routines. The competition was fierce with some impressive routines and despite the pressure the girls put in outstanding performances. The Squad finished in sixth place and is now ranked sixth in England, Ireland and Scotland - an amazing achievement!

Wirral Schools’ Track and Field Championships

T he following students represented Weatherhead, at three Wirral Schools’ Track and Field Championships in May competing in the 100m

Relay, 100m, 200m, 300m, 800m, 1500m, Long Jump, Discus, Hurdles, High Jump, Sprinting and Shot.

Year 7 - Georgia Barber, Jessica Henry, Charlotte Longstaff, Amy McKiernan, Charlie O’Reilly, Charley Quinn, Niamh Rattray, Lucy Roberts and Chloe Swift. Year 8 - Janie Allen, Amber Blair Keyes, Alex Collins, Rebecca Gardner and Amy Thompson. Year 9 - Faye Dean, Shannon Gower, Sophie Turner, Kyra Woolley and Amy Wyatt. Year 10 - Abigail Blacklock, Hannah Fulton, Ashleigh McDaid and Beth Newcombe. Year 11 - Elle Barnes Reen, Anna McGreary and Jess Molyneux. All of our girls performed well against some stiff competititon - highlights from the events included Alex Collins winning 1st place in 100m, Faye Dean 2nd place in 100m and 2nd place in Triple Jump and Amy Wyatt 2nd place in 300m.

Everton Mini Kickers

M iss Chappell’s Mini Kickers programme continues to go from strength to strength attracting Wirral’s most football mad and competitive Key Stage 1 pupils from schools

across the Borough! Dozens of boys and girls attended after school coaching sessions every Tuesday evening for six weeks from 3.45pm to 4.45pm in the Spring term. The Leadership Ambassadors in Years 10, 11 and 12 helped staff the sessions. Year 10 - Grace Blundell, Molly Brislen, Chelsea Corrish, Ashleigh McDaid and Isabella Mawdsley. Year 11 - Kim Harding, Melissa Lopez Georgia Moss. Year 12 - Charlotte Abraham, Jamie Crane, Chloe Hughes, Ali Reid, Olivia Stowell-Smith and Ashleigh Stones.

CSLA (Community Sports Leadership Award) Festivals

A s part of our CSLA programme, Weatherhead hosted three football festivals on the Astro -Turf for Year 1, 2 and 3 pupils from Bidston Avenue, Eastway, Fender, Greenleas,

Liscard, New Brighton, Park, St. George’s and Woodchurch Primary Schools. CSLA students who helped to organise and run the events were Charlotte Abraham, Lauren Buchanan-Lloyd, Laura Cook, Jamie Crane, Melissa Edwards, Chloe Hughes, Jessica Jones, Alexandra Reid, Sophie Russell, Zoe Stewart, Ashleigh Stones, Ellen Strachan and Hannah Thurlow. After a tough final, Year 1 Festival winners were Fender Primary School with runners up Park Primary. Year 2 runners-up were Greenleas and the winners were Park Primary School. The winning schools went through to the Merseyside Finals held at Finch

Department NewsDepartment News

Wirral Schools’ Relay Championships

S tudents in Years 7 to 10 represented Weatherhead at the annual Wirral Schools’ Relay Championships in the Spring term taking part in the 3 x 800m relay

and the 4 x 100m relay, Weatherhead finished in fourth place overall. Competitors were: Year 7 - Georgia Barber, Amy McKiernan, Charlie O’Reilly, Charlie Quinn, Niamh Rattray and Chloe Swift. Year 8 - Janie Allen, Amber Blair Keyes, Alex Collins, Rebecca Gardner, Georgia Murphy, Abigail Owens and Amy Thompson. Year 9 - Rachel Beattie, Faye Dean, Shannon Gower, Megan Smyth, Sophie Turner, Kyra Woolley and Amy Wyatt. Year 10 - Abigail Blacklock, Ashleigh Mcdaid and Beth Newcombe.

PE Cross Country

S tudents from Years 7 - 9 competed in the Merseyside Cross Country Championships 2012 at Sefton Park, Liverpool with Year 9 student, Kyra Woolley and Year 7 student, Niamh

Rattray selected to represent Merseyside.

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Year 9 Athletes

Everton Mini Kickers

Everton Mini Kickers

Year 10 Athletes

Year 8 Athletes at the Wirral Relay ChampionshipsWeatherhead Trampolinists

Weatherhead Trampolining squad

Department News Department News

MerseysideSTEM Fair

A group of keen Year 8 Science students took part in the Merseyside STEM fair hosted by the Mosslands

School in July. The girls participated in a hands-on Sports Science workshop in which they collected their own physiological data, including measuring their reflex actions, lung volume, blood pressure and heart rate. Using

the latest technology, they recorded who could row the furthest in one minute, who was the strongest, who could jump the highest and who could throw the fastest. The girls had a lot of fun and became very competitive during the activities and also had time to talk to local companies, Vauxhall, Mersey Maritime and the Liverpool Universities about courses and careers in Science.

MEM Maths Challenge

S tudents from Year 7 through to Year 10 took part in the MEM Maths Challenge, which involved taking home a booklet of puzzles for completion during the holidays. Holly Cook was

awarded first place from Years 7 and 8 and Ellie Brown was overall winner in the Year 9 and 10 competition.

Maths Gets Creative

I n June, As Creatives visited school for the day to introduce Year 7 students to creative Maths. Using problem solving techniques, students were challenged to solve a murder mystery involving the murder of Michaela Maths! The sessions challenged students to think out of the box, make connections, nurture their creativity and develop their problem solving skills. The girls really enjoyed the sessions and learnt some useful

techniques to help them in their curriculum Maths.

UKMT Junior Maths ChallengeT wenty seven budding Mathematicians from Year

7 and thirty enthusiastic Year 8 students took part in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust’s

(UKMT) Junior Maths Challenge, which involved studying and taking puzzle style tests, competing against students from all over the country. This was a great opportunity to apply mathematical and problem solving skills developed during lessons. Certificates were presented to the highest achievers with Grace Riazi from Year 8 being awarded ‘Best in School’.

Science Maths

New Outdoor ClassroomD uring the penultimate week of term, Weatherhead’s first outside classroom

was officially opened! The outdoor teaching and learning space has been the culmination of lots of hard work and determination and was the brainchild

of Mr Riley, Science teacher. The space consists of a wooden pavilion set in a landscaped garden area. The Jazz Band played at the ceremony which was attended by students, staff, Governors and guests. Students and staff cannot wait to use the space for team meetings, classes, lunchtime clubs and extra-curricular activities.

Year 8 MEM Winner

Year 9 MEM Winner

MEM Maths Challenge Day

Students enjoy the STEM Fair

New Outdoor Classroom

Creative Maths Murder Mystery

Y ear 10 GCSE Music students visited the Liverpool Philharmonic earlier in the year to hear folk group Spiro perform. The girls loved the music and the

highlight of the evening was meeting the performers back stage at the end.

‘Sense of Sound’

O ver 200 hundred Year 8 and 9 students were invited to attend vocal workshops run by nationally acclaimed choir Sense of Sound. Established in 1992, Sense of Sound is an award winning

company based in Liverpool specialising in vocal training. Having performed at the Royal Albert Hall, they were grand finalists in the BBC Choir of the Year competition and more recently featured in BBC2’s award winning series, The Choir, with Gareth Malone. The girls spent a lesson with Jenny and Alice learning warm up techniques and arrangements to songs including Jessie J’s Price Tag and Someone Like You by Adele.

Vocal and Samba Workshops O ver one hundred Year 5 pupils from St. George’s Primary

School were treated to vocal and Samba workshops in July led by Mr Brown and Miss Hartley assisted by Year 13 students

Jasmine Scarisbrick and Christian Watts.

Listen to Me!

L earning Mentors Miss Brough, Mrs Marshall and Miss Cumiskay along with ICT teacher Miss Waine, Year Leader

Mrs Hepke and Learning Support Coordinator Mr Morris were all nominated and received awards at the Listen to Me Awards Evening on Wednesday 13th June. The Awards were presented by the young people who had nominated them for listening, supporting and being there in times of need. Mr David Armstrong, Interim Director of Wirral’s Council’s Children and Young People’s Department, acknowledged the wealth of support given to the students here at Weatherhead (Weatherhead was the school with the most nominations for awards).

Sixth Form Makeover

T he upper Sixth Form common room went through a dramatic

makeover during the Summer holidays! The old seating and tables have been replaced with long white and funky white round tables with pink, blue, lime green and yellow seats. There is also a small comfy sofa area towards the back of the common room. The new furniture will create a better study environment with more of a college feel. Year 13 also have exclusive access to ten brand new computers with the creation of a mini ICT suite and the pop art decorating the walls adds to the funky new look. There are also plans in the future to makeover the Year 12 lower common room.

Department News In Other News

Music

Trip tothe Philharmonic

G’Day Weatherhead! by Caitlin Fegan M oving to Weatherhead from Australia in July was a big change in my life. My old school Whites Hill State College was

coeducational and differed in many ways to Weatherhead. Students joined the ‘prep’ (Foundation stage) and went all the way through to Grade 12 with students leaving school at

the age of seventeen to go straight to University and there was no Sixth Form. I joined Weatherhead in Year 8 and am now in Year 9, but in Australia I would have been going into Grade 10 in January when the school year starts, with a six week holiday at Christmas time. The school uniform was very different, we wore a regulation school blouse, tie, long skirt and regulation socks complete with the school logo. Even though it was a public (state) school like Weatherhead, parents were expected to buy exercise books, text books and calculators, pay to use computers, print and make photocopies as well as pay a sports levy and school fees. The school was very much an outdoor school with only classrooms indoors. We did not have a canteen, we had a tuck shop where you could buy pies and ice blocks. Wednesdays were dedicated to inter-school sports with students wearing their sports kit all day. We also had an outside pool which was used from Spring through to Autumn and hosted annual swim carnivals - it was too cold to use in the Winter! School started at 8.40am and finished earlier at 2:55pm with lessons lasting for 35 minutes or 70 minutes. We did not study Geography, the things that I am learning in Geography at Weatherhead I studied in Science at Whites Hill. There is a long tradition of going on annual Camp starting in Grade 5 and when students graduate in Grade 12 there is a ‘formal’ (or prom) held in a hotel complete with Awards Ceremony for parents followed by a meal and party for students only. I think I have settled in well into Weatherhead and have made lots of new friends as well as securing a part in Peter Pan, as I enjoyed starring in Grease and Fame at Whites Hill.

Year 10 GCSE musicians at Spiro performance

Samba at St. George’s

Sense of Sound Workshop

Listen to Me certificate

New Upper Common Room

In Other News

Dates for Diary School Closes Thurs 18th October INSET Fri 19th October Half Term Mon 22nd - Fri 26th October School Opens Mon 29th OctoberSchool Christmas Craft Fair Sat 17th November

Peter Pan Performances Wed 12th - Fri 14th DecemberSchool Closes for Christmas Fri 21st DecemberChristmas Holidays Mon 24th Dec - Fri 4th JanuarySchool Opens Mon 7th January

Weatherhead High School Breck Road, Wallasey, Wirral CH44 3HS Tel: 0151 631 4400 Fax: 0151 637 1805 Email: admin@weatherhead.wirral.sch.uk

Website www.weatherhead.wirral.sch.uk

Followus on. . .

Peter Pan

B ack in June, almost one hundred and fifty students from Years 7 - 12 auditioned for a part in the much anticipated next school production of Peter Pan. The competition was stiff and after dancing, acting and singing their hearts out in a two hour audition, over one hundred girls successfully gained parts as Lost Boys,

Pirates and Fairies as well as the main characters Peter, Wendy, Michael, John, Captain Hook, Smee and Tinkerbell. Rehearsals will start this term, with some costume fittings already completed. A percentage of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Please keep an eye out on the website for rehearsal updates, tickets and performance details for what promises to be another great Weatherhead production! Year 7 students will also be given a chance to audition for the chorus this month … look out for further information.

Titanic the Musical

I n June half term, Mrs Henderson’s production of Titanic the Musical was performed at the Liverpool Empire

Theatre. This was the third show she had directed in a large professional theatre and the cast received standing ovations for their efforts. Weatherhead students, past and present, were involved as actors, singers, dancers and back stage crew including ex-Head Girl Jenny Foulds (2006). The production gave all involved an opportunity to work in a professional venue under Mrs Henderson’s experienced eye. Her GCSE and BTEC Performing Arts students will also benefit, as she recorded a backstage video, showing the processes involved in putting on a professional show. She plans to use the video during lessons in the Autumn term.

News from KenyaW eatherhead staff and students have continued to

raise money this year for the orphanage we support in Kenya and have helped to set up and stock a

Library for the children to use for their studies and leisure as well as purchase fire extinguishers. The Sixth Form raised enough money to buy them sports equipment, including a table tennis table, football, basketball and volley ball nets and balls. In June, Mrs Ellison ran a half marathon with staff, friends and family helping her to raise nearly £600, which is going to buy personal items and toiletries for the girls. The children are extremely grateful for all of the support they receive from Weatherhead. Their wonderful new home and mini bus are constant reminders to them of how much we have helped them to build a new life and future for over one hundred and fifty children.

Cast of Titanic